This absolutely titanic crash involving Memo Gidley and Metteo Malucelli at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona will stand as one of gnarliest in the history of the race. It is important to note that both drivers are banged up but in stable condition at the hospital. There are multiple broken bones, a broken back, and a pair of thoroughly annihilated race cars. Adding insult to injury, Gidley was driving the car which qualified on the pole and was seen as the class of the event before its encounter with the rear of Malucelli’s Ferrari.
As you’ll see in the video, Malucelli had a driveline problem with the Ferrari and was essentially rolling to a stop on the course. Apparently the car was running but would not accelerate due to a clutch failure or some other similar issue which caused the engine to lose the ability to drive the wheels. As that car was (literally) grinding to a halt, Memo Gidley was hauling like the wind and dicing with another Ferrari. Moving to the left side of the Ferrari to make a pass and accelerating hard, Gidley had literally no chance to react, slow down, or steer away from Malucelli’s nearly parked car.
The resulting impact is incredible and both cars fly through the air, disintegrate, and Gidley’s car erupts in flames (which are contained). It is shocking that both guys lived through this and it speaks to the engineering and construction quality of the cars. Shocking is an overused word, but this video is shocking –
PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE THE EPIC WRECK OF MEMO GIDLEY AND MATTEO MALUCELLI –
Why Metteo Malucelli did not pull off the track while he was coasting is …
My initial thought was the same…
Whilst I generally agree, Jerry, I wonder what the rules state about caution flags under such conditions? Presumably, as Malucelli hadn’t already wrecked and was coasting, they’d not be out?
Anyway, I hope that they both pull through.
Malucelli did not crash, the engine quit and he was coasting along still on the track.
Malucelli was being released from hospital today. Gidley will have a slower recovery, back surgery to come for him.
That was a terrible shunt to watch live.
TERRIBLE incident just hope they both heal quickly and completely. This is a testament to the safety, rules, training and being in the good hands that it did not turn out worse than it did.
Why didn’t he drop out of the racing line? maybe he couldn’t get over in time with cars going around him? or was he trying to get back to the pits?
Daniel, the Ferrari was actually off of the racing line. The normal line is to the right of the track at that point. However, he dipped left to pass traffic and ran right into the back of the Ferrari. The Ferrari had just lost power and had moved off of the line. At the time of day of the wreck, the sun created a loss of view of the Ferrari right at that point. Just one of those ‘worst place, worst time’ scenerio. No fault to either–a terrible racing incident. While watching that crash live I could hardly breath. I’m a nurse, and a race driver. I have seen the Red Dragon up close and personal several times. They drive the wheels off of that beast. He was racing, and never had a chance. The Ferrari was doing all it could to get off of the track but that Dragon caught up with the disabled car before any one could warn or him. I don’t know if there was a white flag (it would not have been a yellow) waving but even if there were he simply wouldn’t have had time to react.